


The Wheel of Fortune's Troubles

by orphan_account



Category: Persona 4, Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Alcohol, Angst, Chad Yu, F/M, Fluff, Frustration, Future Fic, M/M, More tags to be added, POV Multiple, alternative universe, but not really, yu/naoto/chie/yosuke all work for the police
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-24
Updated: 2020-04-02
Packaged: 2021-02-22 21:43:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 21
Words: 15,455
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23300854
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Naoto is having trouble with a new case, while the rest of the Investigation Team try to help.[ive lost motivation to continue this. this will not be finished.]
Relationships: Kitagawa Yusuke/Kurusu Akira, Narukami Yu/Shirogane Naoto
Comments: 26
Kudos: 42





	1. The One In Which Naoto Is Frustrated, And Talks With Yu

**Author's Note:**

> Second fic, and already making a several chapter story? Boy oh boy will this be god awful.
> 
> Naoto is a bit of a weird character for me to write, so I made her kind of a nerd.

Naoto Narukami was an "Ace Detective" according to her peers, and she couldn't really deny it, either. After what happened in Inaba, all the cases that she took on were... easier. Quicker to do. So far, she was on a 15-time streak of solving a case in a **week**. So that's why when she encountered a rather peculiar case, including some conspicuous Phantom Thieves, she felt upset. She's never felt this stumped ever since Inaba. She had so many theories concerning them, about their methods, why they target the people they do, and how they always seem to evade the police.  
  
She sat in her office, twirling her pen around, frustrated. Her walls were covered with pages stuck to boards, all connected with red string. She sighs, taking her hat off and putting it on the corner of her desk, running her hand through her short blue hair. Examining the hat revealed that it's quite beat up, being in use for years. Pieces of blue hair clung to the inside and outside of the hat. She absentmindedly considered getting it fixed, before beating the thought out of her mind. She should be thinking and theorizing about those _damn Phantom Thieves--_  
  
Naoto took a deep breath. She'll get nowhere getting angry. She took her phone out of her pocket and navigated to the messaging app, texting her detective husband.  
 _N: "HEY R U FREE RN?"  
Y: "Yes. Why? Something wrong?"  
N: "JUST FRUS. AT THESE PT'S."  
Y: "Thought so. Talk to me."  
N: "THEY R SO ELUSIVE. HOW ARE THE PT'S ABLE TO EVADE SUS?"  
Y: "No idea."  
_  
Naoto thought for a moment. The only other time that a case has taken this long was her first ones and the Inaba case...  
 _N: "U THINK THEY R PERSONA USERS?"  
Y: "Now that's a thought I haven't had yet..."  
Y: "You think they use TV's as we did?"  
N: "POSSIBLY."  
N: "WILL U COME WITH ME TO LUNCH?"  
Y: "Sure."  
  
_Naoto put away her phone, and grabbed her hat, putting it on.

* * *

Naoto and Yu sat at a cafe that was situated near the police station. Naoto knew that Yu frequented this place, mainly to get coffee while going into the station, so she asked him to come here.  
"...they always seem to be one step ahead of the police, and they make it known, too. It's quite frustrating." Naoto sighed. Yu always did this, recapping a case when it really didn't need to be recapped. Maybe he picked it up from all the times that she did it earlier?  
  
"But now that we have the theory that they could be Persona users," Naoto interrupted. "this could become much easier."  
"Yes. If only we didn't have to watch for a gathering of people to enter TV's." Yu sipped at his drink, looking out at traffic.  
"And, there's way too many TV's. Plus, these people aren't accessing the Junes' TV that we did back then. Their entrance could be in someone's house, for all we know." She added.  
  
Naoto put her hand on her chin, resting her elbow on the table. She watched as the general public of Tokyo drove and walked by, going about their business in the afternoon.  
"If anything, now we have _more_ questions without answers." She groans.  
A voice from behind Naoto started.  
"What happened to your enthusiasm for solving cases, Naoto?"  
  
Naoto and Yu look at the person speaking. It was none other than the usurper of the Detective Prince role, Akechi Goro.  
Yu greets him warmly. "Ah, Goro."  
Naoto greeted him less than warm. "Akechi."  
"Do you mind if I take a seat? I suspect that you're talking about the Phantom Thief case."  
"Go ahead."  
  
Goro drags a chair out from the table, and sits down, setting his suitcase on the ground next to the chair.  
"So, have you two got any new theories?"  
Yu speaks up. "Nothing, really... the Phantom Thieves are very elusive."  
Naoto's eyes dart to Yu. Hearing him lie through his teeth isn't something she's used to.  
"Really, now..." Goro grips his chin, eyes down at the ground.  
  
"Did you find anything out, Akechi?" Naoto politely asks, trying to keep the disdain she felt for Goro away from her words.  
"I'm afraid not. Just as Yu said, they are very elusive. And, for someone my age, I don't have full access to these types of cases."  
The three sit in silence, Yu and Naoto sipping at their drinks.  
  
"Welp, I have to get going. I've got to go back to school." Goro picks up his suitcase, standing up and pushing in his chair. "Thank you two for the update."  
"No problem, Goro. Take care."  
Goro waltz's off.  
"...How can you be so nice to Akechi? I don't get it."  
  
Yu looks at Naoto.  
"You still dislike him for taking your title?"  
Naoto grips the rim of her hat.  
"I'm afraid so. It's childlike of me to resent someone for taking a simple nickname..."  
Yu looks at her with that damned look. That look that always disarms Naoto even to this day.  
"Don't worry about it. It's okay to be like this every now and then."  
  
Naoto stands up suddenly, looking away. Mainly to hide her blushing.  
"Yes... we should be going back now."  
Yu hums in approval and gets up, the two heading back to the police station.


	2. The One In Which Naoto Makes The Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Naoto assembles a part of the old Investigation Team.
> 
> If anyone's read JUBE514's P3, P4, and P5 fic, The Scale and Sword, that's where I got the idea for Yosuke's position. It's a great read, so I suggest reading that too.

Naoto was once again, in her office looking over notes and possible connections that littered her walls. Every single string linked back to the Phantom Thief's logo.  
"(First, Kamoshida, a high school gym teacher. Next, Madarame, a famous artist. Then, Kaneshiro, a gang leader. Then, as of recently, Okumura, a fast-food company CEO.)"  
  
Behind her, was Yosuke Hanamura, leader of the forensics department. He was notorious for being particularly carefree and listening to music whilst working, alongside Chie Sakonata, a rank-and-file officer who was normally assigned to street patrol. _She_ was notorious for her various "police brutality" charges, however, she denies every single one, saying that "It was necessary!". Lastly, Yu Narukami, a calm and collected detective. Nothing to be added to him.  
  
Yosuke speaks up.  
"...Naoto... could you stop mumblin-"  
Chie slaps his mouth, keeping her hand over it.  
"(Stop yapping! She's thinking!)"  
"None of these targets have any correlation. If their first target was a perverted gym teacher, then why was their next a greed-driven artist?"  
  
Yu gives a light cough.  
"Maybe one of their friends was under Madarame? There was a kid who was living with Madarame in his shack when the change of heart occurred."  
Naoto points at Yu without looking at him.  
"That, is a good idea."  
She turns around, looking at them all.  
  
"Alright. I've got a plan now."  
Yosuke removes Chie's hand from his mouth, coughing.  
"That is...?"  
Naoto brings out a whiteboard, rolling it in front of where she was standing originally. She grabs a multitude of colours, drawing out the plan in the aforementioned colours.  
  
When she's done, she steps away, looking expectantly at the three of them... only to be disappointed.  
Yu is mumbling to himself, reading over the whiteboard. Yosuke is dumbfounded by all the colours, clearly not understanding a word on there, and Chie was trying her hardest.  
"What does any of this mean, Naoto?" Chie asks.  
  
Naoto sighs.  
"Okay, clearly the whiteboard wasn't needed... Satonaka." She starts. "I need you to find someone who can figure out who was living under Madarame in his shack before his change of heart, then report back to me when you figure it out."  
Chie salutes. "Got it!"  
"Hanamura, I need you to get ready to analyze anything I bring back."  
Yosuke puts his hands behind his head in a relaxed way.  
"Alright!"  
  
Naoto looks at Yu.  
"When Satonaka gets back to me with who was living under Madarame, we'll both go to see who it was. Got it?"  
Yu nods.  
"In the meantime... why don't we all head somewhere to eat dinner? It's been a while since we've all been together." Naoto suggests.  
Chie gasps, stars in her eyes.  
"Can we go to a steakhouse? Please?!"  
  
Yosuke grumbles.  
"I'm not paying for your bill."  
Chie stares daggers at Yosuke, her childlike happiness gone in an instant.  
"Yes you are! You still haven't returned my..."  
Naoto tunes the incoming fight out, rubbing her eyes. She feels a headache coming, and moves to her desk, grabbing some Tylenol, popping one in her mouth. Looking up, Yu's starting to play the mediator again.  
  
"How about Yosuke doesn't pay for your bill, but instead returns your DVD when we head home?"  
Yosuke has a look that he hasn't had on since high school. The look that says "Chie's going to kill me."  
Naoto quietly chuckles, gripping the rim of her hat again.  
"Let's get going." She says.


	3. The One In Which The Group Drinks Alcohol, Except Yu

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Naoto, Yosuke, and Chie get smashed with alcohol, and Yu suffers because of their inability to hold a drink.

Yu stared at his wife and 2 friends, and how they babbled upon drinking alcohol. It was almost- no, is downright _disgraceful_ to their regular selves. He's used to seeing Yosuke or Chie drunk, seeing as at almost any gathering involving members of the Investigation Team, there was typically alcohol somewhere. But Naoto being drunk? That's a rare one. She's only drunk wine before, and that gets you barely tipsy. So seeing Naoto a giggling mess is... strange for Yu.  
  
He never thought Naoto to be one to not hold her alcohol well. Although, now considering her small stature... it makes a bit more sense. Before she drank, she told him; "Just a little bit, for finally getting a lead in the Phantom Thief case."  
Then a little bit turned into a bit more, then a bit more turned into... well, you get the point. She leaned on him, giggling.  
"H- _Hic_ -Heh... H-Hey... Yu... _hic_..."  
"...Yes, Naoto?" He decided to treat this as if she were sober, and having a normal conversation.  
"Y-You know... _hic_... yhou're k-kinda... _hic_..."  
"What am I, Naoto?"  
  
Instead of responding, she bursts out into laughter. Looking over at Yosuke and Chie, they were... surprisingly not fighting. Sure, half of their words were incoherent, and their eyes were slow to move, but they were having a nice conversation, from what Yu could tell. He couldn't hear what they were talking about over the sound of Naoto laughing and the general noise of the steakhouse, but he was glad that they weren-  
  
  
"NO! _Hic_... MY PERSHONA IS COOL- _hic_ -ER THAN YHOURS...!" Yosuke yells out, slurring his words.  
"OH YHEAH...?! YOU WA- _hic-_ NNA GO... BIG MAN?!" Chie retorts.  
Naoto was still laughing. Yu was resilient to most things, but this was starting to kind of irritate him...  
He took a sip from his water, while a waiter came over to the group. They looked at Yu.  
"...Is everything... uh... okay...?"  
  
"Oh yeah, just peachy." Yu responded. The waiter looked at the 3 drunks, then looked back at Yu.  
"Is there a chance that you could... uhm... quiet them down?" The waiter looked kind of scared of the group, seeing as they were all still their work clothes. Who knew what a drunken police officer arguing with a guy wearing a lab coat could do? The waiter certainly didn't want to find out.  
"I'll do my best." Yu stood up, taking his glass of water while moving over to Yosuke and Chie.  
  
"Hey! Yosuke! Chie!"  
The two drunks ignore him. Moving his glass over Chie and Yosuke, he tips it over on Chie, then flips it over to Yosuke. A medium amount of water hits the two's heads, dripping down their face.  
"Hey...! What...?" They both say, synchronized.  
"Can you two stop arguing so loudly? At least do it quieter."  
  
The two look like children who were just scolded. They look down at the ground at the same time.  
"Sorry..." Yu moves back to his seat and looks at Naoto. She was lightly hitting the desk, nearly out of breath from laughing. The waiter decides to leave, as he pats Naoto's back. Chie and Yosuke quietly argue about their Persona being the coolest. They both suddenly look at Yu with intense stares.  
  
"Whicch one... _hic_... of our Phersona's... are coolest...?" Yosuke asks.  
"...Mine is obviously the coolest. There's no contest between the two of yours." Yu replies with a grin.  
Chie taps her chin, nodding rather vigorously.  
"I... _hic_... agree!"  
Yosuke looks disappointed. He really wanted the win on that.  
  
The two go back to bickering, and Yu actually eats his food, whilst patting Naoto's back, who has decided to take a nap.  
  
"(How am I going to get you all home without getting into an accident...?)"


	4. The One In Which Naoto Is Sober Again

Naoto blinks, and immediately groans. Her head pounded with immense pain. The sunlight was getting through her eye-lids, and was frankly pissing her off. She rolled over, and found a well of warmth. She put her forehead in it, and soon after, her entire face. It was dark, and warm. In her sluggish brain, she considered this was just what she needed. She sighed, though she couldn't fall asleep. Naoto slowly grew frustrated, being unable to fall asleep. Briefly forgetting about her immense headache, she sat up, opening her eyes.  
  
"Ach-"  
She covered her eyes with her hands, then slowly held her head with one hand still covering her eyes. She groans, lying back down. She takes her hands off her face and head, putting her head into the pillow. Using her hands, Naoto feels around the bed until she feels that well of warmth again. Her brain gets back up to speed, and realizes that's Yu.  
"...Yu...?"  
"Mhm?"   
  
Naoto sighs in relief.   
"My... head hurts. What happened...?" She returns her hands to herself, putting them by her sides.  
"You, Yosuke, and Chie all drank like it was the end of the world." Naoto knew that Yu would be smirking right now. "You were laughing like you were crazy, while Yosuke and Chie argued as always."  
"Good to know that I didn't do anything compromising..."   
  
"...Not in public, anyway."   
"WHAT?!"   
Naoto's hands immediately shot out, grabbing what she thought was the collar of Yu's shirt.  
"I-I'm kidding! I'm kidding!" Yu tried loosening her grip on him, and she let go altogether.  
"You don't joke about those things, Yu... anyway. Would anything help with this... hangover...?"   
  
"Mhm. It's called water, an aspirin, and more rest."   
"But... Yu, we need to get to work..."   
Yu lightly patted the back of her head.   
"You can be a little late today, you know. You have more leeway than you realize, you're the Ace Detective of the station. They would allow you to be at least an hour late."  
  
  
"...Mh... fine. Can you get the stuff for me...?"   
"Right away, Detective Prince."   
Naoto felt Yu's body leave the bed, and heard their door open.  
"(...Damn him...)"  
  
...Half an hour later, Naoto was sitting in her chair, reading a book while drinking water. Her hangover was very persistent, but Naoto was very stubborn. She wouldn't lose to a simple hangover, she refused. Across from her, Yu sat, texting and watching her.   
"...Who are you texting?" Naoto inquired.   
"Ah... Yosuke, and Chie. I didn't remember where Chie lived, so I left her in Yosuke's house. They've locked themselves in separate rooms, thinking they've done... well. You can guess."   
  
"So why don't you tell them that they didn't?"   
"Because it's funny." Yu gives a devilish grin. "Plus, apparently, Chie's beat him up already for breaking the DVD she talked about."  
Naoto was shocked. She never thought Yu as someone to lead two people on about what they've done... though, Chie and Yosuke kind of ask for it sometimes. Several times, she's lost her temper around the two, telling them to stop bickering. Maybe one day she'd try leading them on.  
  
"Hm." Naoto goes back to reading her book. Inside it though, she was reading a Featherman manga. She knew that Yu knew about this, but she still likes hiding it in books. Anyone just seeing it would be embarrassing, especially if Yu saw her reading it without a cover of an actual book.   
Soon, an hour passes, and the two get ready to head to work, and mentally prepare to go on a hunt for Madarame's last pupil.


	5. The One In Which Naoto And Yu Talk To Yusuke

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys are back in town.

Naoto stood around Chie's desk, waiting for her to arrive. She was incredibly late. Naoto and Yu had an excuse, that being Naoto was the Ace Detective of the station, and Yu was her husband, but Chie was just a normal officer with a bad track record. If she was caught, she'd be fired immediately.  
Becoming bored, she took out her book hiding the Featherman manga, and began reading. A short while later, Chie walks in without a care in the world.   
  
"Hey Naoto! What're ya doing?" Chie asks, looking at Naoto.  
"It's about time you showed up." Naoto puts her book in her abnormally large pocket. "Did you find the name of Madarame's pupil?"  
"Name...? Oh! Right!" Chie remembered. "His name is **Yusuke Kitagawa** , and he lives in... Cafe Le'blanc, down in **Yongen-Jaya** , and he attends school at **Kosei** **High**."  
Naoto thinks.   
"He'll be in school now. We'll go ask for him at the office."  
  
"Thank you, Satonaka." Naoto turns to leave.  
"Naoto!"   
Naoto turns around.  
"You know you can call me Chie, right?"   
Naoto looks at the ground.  
"...Right... Chie. Thank you, I'll be going to get Yu now."  
Naoto leaves to Yu's office...  


* * *

Naoto and Yu stand at the front doors of Kosei High. Naoto takes the initiative, opening the doors and stepping inside. Just in front of her, is the front office.   
"(How convenient.)" Naoto walks toward it, Yu following her, as a rather loud buzzer goes off.  
"Must be class changes." Yu comments.  
"Keep focused on the task at hand, Narukami."   
  
Naoto pushes open the office door, a small ding coming from above her.   
A lady, probably the secretary, sitting at the front desk looks up.   
"How can I help you?"   
Naoto pulls out her badge, and it flips open.  
"Detective Naoto Narukami. I need to see Yusuke Kitagawa."  
  
"Ah..." The secretary looks startled at the sudden introduction. "Right away."  
She stands up, and moves to a microphone, pushing in a button.   
_"Excuse the interruption, could Yusuke Kitagawa come to the front office? Thank you."_  
"He'll be coming shortly." The secretary returns to her seat. "Excuse me for asking, but why do you need him?"  
"We need to ask him a few questions." Yu says. The secretary nods.  
  
Soon, a dark-blue haired boy enters the office. Naoto immediately takes control of the topic.   
"I'm Detective Naoto Narukami. I need to ask you a few questions. May I ask you to come with me to some-place secluded?"  
"Oh... okay." _He sounds pretty modest..._ Naoto thinks.  
  
The three head out into the school's courtyard, and Naoto signals Yusuke to sit down on a bench. He obliges. Naoto sits on a bench across from him, and Yu sits with her.  
"I'm sure you're aware of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts? The ones who changed your guardian's heart?"  
A look of surprise comes across his face, but a second later, it disappears.   
"Yes. I appreciate their actions greatly."  
  
Naoto looks at Yu.  
"(Yu... should we reveal our thought process to him? If it's anything like us, he might have gotten inducted into the Phantom Thieves. And judging by his surprise of us bringing up the topic, it's highly likely that this is the case.)"  
Yu shrugs. "(Worth a shot.)"  
Naoto turns back to Yusuke, and he seems to be examining the sky.  
  
She gives a short cough, and that catches his attention.   
"We've been investigating the Phantom Thieves, concerning how they operate, why they target the people they do, and how they _always evade police_. Based upon our own experiences, we believe that you may be a member of the Phantom Thieves."  
"Me...? A member of the Phantom Thieves? I apologize, but I'm afraid I'm not a member."  
  
"Do you know of Persona's?"  
Yusuke looks startled.  
"I'm sorry?"  
"A Persona is a manifestation of one's will and their inner-self. We believe that when Madarame's heart was changed, you were inducted into the Phantom Thieves, gaining a Persona."  
"A-Again, I apologize, bu-"  
  
"Why were you startled that we mentioned the Phantom Thieves, or Persona's?" Yu spoke up.  
"A-Ah... u-uhm..."  
"Don't worry, Kitagawa. We are Persona users too. This Phantom Thief business has got everyone incredibly tense. If you tell us everything about what TV you use to access the Midnight Channel, why you target the people you do, and your motives, we won't imprison any of you."   
  
"...Midnight... Channel? Truthfully, I've never heard any of the sort."  
Naoto starts again, drilling him.  
"You must be using the Midnight Channel. That's the only way we used our Personas."  
"We use the Met-" Yusuke cuts himself off, clapping his hand to his mouth.  
"You use what? Finish that word!" Naoto was furious. She was so close to unraveling this entire case. She wouldn't be stopped by some kid...!"  
  
"I'm not saying anything else... if I remember correctly, detectives do not have the ability to question anyone they want, without a warrant."   
Naoto looks down. He was right.  
Yu elbowed her.   
"He's right."  
"(I know, Narukami. Finish this for me.)"  
  
"Ah... well, thank you for your time, Kitagawa. You can return to your classes now."  
"Thank you..." Yusuke sighed in relief, rubbing his wrists and returning to class.  
Naoto stands up.   
  
"Let's get out of here."


	6. The One In Which The Phantom Thieves Talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yusuke is a scared boye. God bless his soul.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For anyone wondering, the relationship tag between Yusuke and Akira is just for emotional support for both of them. Besides, any advance from Akira would go over Yusuke's head.

The Phantom Thieves of Hearts group chat was in chaos. Yusuke had informed them all that detective Persona users had confronted him during school, asking about the Phantom Thieves.  
_  
Skull: For real?! Like, for REAL real?!  
Panther: Yes, Ryuji. For real! You can stop saying it!  
Oracle: Yeah! It's annoying!  
Skull: As if you aren't annoying either, Futaba! You're always referencing things that we don't know about!  
Oracle: I'm sorry that my brain is wider than yours!  
Skull: HEY!  
Joker: You can stop bickering at any time, you know.  
Skull: Sorry, Akira...  
Joker: It's fine. Yusuke, tell us exactly what happened.  
  
Fox: Well, I was attending class like normal, when I was called up to the front office.  
Fox: I went over, and I was greeted by detective Naoto Narukami.  
Oracle:_ **_THE_** _NAOTO NARUKAMI?!  
Skull: Who's Naoto Narukami?  
Oracle: Only the FORMER DETECTIVE PRINCE! Or, well, rather, Detective Princess...  
Noir: Naoto is a girl?  
Oracle: Yeah! She got secretly married to some schmuck named Yu Narukami.  
Joker: How'd you find this out?  
Oracle: Does that need to be asked, Akira? Come on...  
Joker: Right...  
Joker: Yusuke, continue.  
  
Fox: He asked to go to someplace secluded to question me.  
Queen: She*  
Joker: Sh.  
Fox: After we went to the courtyard, she immediately started in on me, accusing me of being a member of the Phantom Thieves.  
Fox: I denied it, naturally, but then she asked if I knew anything about Personas.  
Fox: Then, the person with her, who I'm now assuming is Yu Narukami...  
Oracle: What'd he look like?  
Fox: Silver hair, bowl cut, grey eyes.  
  
Oracle: Give me a second.  
Queen: Is this seriously necessary?  
Skull: C'mon...  
Oracle: Yep, it's him.  
Oracle: Continue.  
__Fox: Yu then asked me why I was startled when she asked about the Thieves and Personas.  
Joker: You showed your surprise?  
Skull: Man, you're so unprofessional!  
Panther: Says the idiot who nearly revealed our identities EVERY MOMENT POSSIBLE!  
Skull: It just happens!  
Joker: So does showing surprise.  
  
Fox: He mentioned something about a Midnight Channel, and asked me what TV we used to access it.  
Skull: But we use the Meta-Nav...  
Joker: It seems that there are multiple areas that Personas can be accessed...  
__Oracle: The Midnight Channel was just a small-town rumor in bumfuck-nowheresville. AKA; Inaba.  
Joker: There has to be something special about it.  
Joker: Either way, we now have to be careful. We have Persona users after us.  
  
Crow: Good lord people, I'm trying to sleep. Do you have to bombard the group chat at 1 AM every day?_


	7. The One In Which Naoto Fixes Her Hat, And Eats I Guess

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Naoto goes out to fix her hat, and meets an old friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 100 views. Whew.

Naoto Narukami woke up early today. She's got work to do. Quietly sneaking out of bed, she changes into her old detective clothes (which still fit her, blame her small frame), and dons her hat. Seeing as she's woken up early, she might as well get her hat fixed. She leaves a note saying that she's taking up a lead on her own in the kitchen, and leaves the house. The air outside is cold, and the grass is wet with dew from the precipitation. It's becoming winter, and she doesn't like that.  
  
Walking down the outskirt streets of Tokyo, venturing in the city, there's already people walking around, and cars driving down the roads. She goes down a few streets, straying from the main path, following her phone directions, and finds a clothing repair shop. She reads the open time, and it's... closed. For 10 minutes. She leans against the building, taking out her book and continuing her Featherman manga.

* * *

  
  
Kanji Tatsumi was told to move out into Tokyo to continue the Tatsumi business in bigger areas. Apparently, he was set to be the manager of this branch. On the outside, he didn't necessarily care, but on the inside, his heart soared. He was so excited to be responsible for a shop, and working with his employees. He decided to come early today, and open so he could get started immediately. That was, until he saw a familiar blue-hatted detective standing outside of his shop.  
  
It was almost uncanny, how Naoto looked pretty much unchanged since he's last seen her. It made his head spin. Why was she here?  
"(Welp. Only one way 'ta find out.)"  
Kanji walked up to Naoto, pretending to not notice her, until she did.  
"...Kanji?"  
  
Kanji looked up.  
"Naoto? What'ya doing here?"  
"I was going to get my hat fixed, but the shop hasn't opened up yet."  
"Oh, well... ya'know, I'm the manager of this place. I can open it up early to help you." He made sure to say this with confidence and pride.  
"Ah. That would be great, thank you."  
  
Kanji unlocked the door, and flipped the closed sign to open.  
"So, what have you been up to, Naoto?" Kanji went behind the countertop, sorting things into places where he wanted it.  
"Oh, just doing another case... this one has taken me more than a week. It's lasted a few months, in fact. It's quite frustrating."  
"Oh, really...?" Kanji turned to her. She looked down at the ground with disdain.  
  
"Either way... it doesn't matter. I've gotten a few good leads, and I intend to grab them and not let go until I get every piece of information from it."  
"I'd expect nothing less from our Detective Princess." Kanji said unassumingly.  
"P-Princess?!" Naoto sputtered.  
"What?"  
  
"F-First off, I am _not_ a princess, second off, my 'Detective Prince' title was stolen by that damn Goro Akech-"  
"Woah, Naoto, calm down! It was just a comment... jeez..."  
"...Right. I apologize."  
"Alright... whadda'ya need?" Kanji is ready with his materials.  
Naoto takes off her hat.  
  
"I would appreciate it if you could fix my hat. I've already cleaned it of all my hair." Naoto places the hat on the countertop.  
"Got it." Kanji takes the hat, and starts sewing blue threads back into the hat, fixing discolourings and overall just making it better.  
  
After 10 minutes, the employees start coming in, but they seemingly avoid Naoto and Kanji. They seem to understand what's going down.  
  
After an hour, Kanji is done.  
"Here ya go, Naoto."  
"...Hm? Uh, oh."  
Naoto pockets her book, and takes the hat into her hands. Examining it, it looks exactly how it did the day her grandfather gifted it to her.  
  
"...Thank you, Kanji. Truly."  
Naoto looks grateful. It fills Kanji's heart with confidence.  
She puts on the hat once again.  
"Man... 'ya really look like you're still in high school."  
"Mm... could be the fact that I'm wearing the classic outfit."  
  
"Yeah. Say, how's Yu been? I never got any notification of a wedding or break up."  
"O-Oh... I'm so sorry Kanji, I forgot to invite you. We did get married."  
Kanji is surprised.  
"Huh... well, it's fine. I was undergoin' training for this job, I doubt I could've even made it in the first place. But... man, everyone's grown up now."  
  
"Yes..." Naoto thinks of all her friends.  
"Have you heard anythin' from Rise?"  
"I think she's on tour again... only a month after her last one."  
"Really? Damn, she works hard."  
"I'm more concerned for her health than her work ethic."  
  
The two talk for longer, but eventually, Naoto has to leave. The two update their contact information, and Naoto gives him a surprising amount of money, for a simple hat fix. He takes it anyway, double-checking if Naoto is okay with this.  
"(...What if I was the one who married her, eh...?)"  
  
Naoto steps outside. Time to get to work.

* * *

Naoto boarded a train to Yongen-Jaya, remembering Chie's words. It was 6 AM, and school wouldn't start until 7 AM at least. Eventually, she got off the train, being at her stop. Looking up Cafe Le'blanc on her phone, she followed the blue line to her destination.  
Soon, she ended up in an "alleyway", that was populated with local businesses and houses. Nobody was walking around. Taking a right, she continued walking, until she found the Cafe.  
  
"(...Now, how should I do this? I could go straight in and get something to quickly drink, or I could stay outside, and wait to see Kitagawa.)" She continued to list all the pros and cons of going in or staying outside, when a man wearing a pink dress shirt arrived, messing around with some keys. He bumped into her on accident, not looking where he was going.  
"Oh, sorry-"  
"Sorry-"  
  
The two stared at each other. Naoto quickly looked at the door, and saw a closed sign. Looking back at the man, she discerned that this was the shop's owner.  
"Ah... let me move out of your way."  
"Mm."  
Naoto moves, and the owner unlocks the door.  
  
As the owner moved into the shop, Naoto followed, taking a seat at one of the stools. The man soon came back wearing an apron.  
"Oh. I thought you were just standing in front of the shop for no reason." He looked puzzled.  
"No... I was actually looking to get something to drink." She considered the fact that she hasn't eaten breakfast. How she already missed Yu's cooking... "...And perhaps maybe something to eat."  
  
The man pointed his thumb upwards.  
"Menu's up there."  
Naoto looked up, and began reading over all the possible choices.  
"(...Coffee in any kind, tea, even soft drinks... then...)" She noticed the copious amount of curry types. In fact, that was the only food that this place served, aside from a bagel.  
  
"Do you only sell curry?" She inquired.  
"Yeah... It's one of my specialties."  
"Then... I'll have a coffee with two cream, and a plate of curry."  
The man set up the coffee makers next to Naoto to start brewing, then heads to the back, putting a pan on the stove, and turning on the burner.  
  
"How spicy do you want it?" The man looked back at Naoto.  
"Hm. Medium-ish."  
The man starts making the curry, and grabs two more pans, putting them on the stove and cooking more curry.  
"...You're quite good at doing this, seeing as you're managing several pans."  
"It's more experience than skill, really. It's a game of making sure none of them burn. _Heh_..."  
  
Soon, Naoto has both her coffee and curry in front of her. She starts in, noting the extraordinary taste of the curry and coffee.  
"This is rather good. What's your recipe?" She asked.  
The man looked up from his newspaper.  
"Why would I tell you? That recipe is the thing that keeps people comin'."  
She shrugs.  
"That's fair."  
  
"Then, what's your name?"  
"Hm? Sojiro Sakura." The name felt familiar to her, yet, she couldn't remember where she's heard it. The man moves his head at her, and Naoto decides that he's asking her for her name.  
"I'm Naoto Narukami." Little did Naoto know, the name felt familiar to Sojiro, yet, he couldn't remember where he's heard it.  
Naoto goes back to eating.  
  
A while later, a wild black-haired boy wearing glasses descends the stairs from the left, and is followed by Yusuke Kitagawa. Yusuke instantly recognizes her, while the black-haired one doesn't.  
"A-Ah..." Yusuke starts. "Detective Naoto... what are you doing here?"  
Naoto looks over.  
"Enjoying my meal. I'm surprised to see you here, Kitagawa."  
During the small interaction, the black-haired boy looks at her, suspicious of something.  
  
Sojiro folds his newspaper loudly.  
"You know each other?" He puts it underneath the counter.  
"Yes. I had to question him about some matters yesterday."  
"...About what?"  
"I apologize, but that's confidential."  
  
"Welp..." Sojiro picks up the two extra plates of curry, and sets them on the countertop. Yusuke and the black-haired boy take a seat on a stool, eating rather quickly. Naoto eats her food like a normal person. Yet, Naoto finishes before the two other boys do.  
"Thank you for the food, Sakura." Naoto leaves the necessary amount of money on the countertop, and leaves.

* * *

As soon as she left, Sojiro started drilling Yusuke.  
"Don't tell me this is about your... Phantom Thief business."  
Yusuke looks straight at him, and replies.  
"Unfortunately, it is. She has suspected me as a Phantom Thief. She's also a Persona user, which complicates things for us."  
  
Sojiro sighs.  
"Didn't I tell you to not get into trouble while under my care...?"  
Yusuke gets up, and bows.  
"I apologize deeply, Sojiro."  
Akira smirked at the interaction, and continued eating, while Yusuke sat back down.  
  
Sojiro holds his head.  
"It's... it's fine. Just hurry up and get going before you give me a proper headache."  
Akira's bag shifts, a meow coming from it.  
"You should probably hurry up and listen to the Boss."  
Akira elbows the bag playfully, and a yowl comes from it.  
"I know, Morgana."


	8. The One In Which Naoto Stalks Yusuke

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Naoto stalks Yusuke. About time.

Naoto leaves the cafe, and hides behind a vending machine nearby. Hopefully, the two students won't walk by. After about a minute, she peeks out from around it, and she sees Yusuke and the black-haired kid walk out of the cafe, and down the street, away from her.   
"(Kitagawa is going to school... I doubt they'll get into any Thievery business now, so I'll try to find him after school.)"  
Naoto leaves her cover of the vending machine, unaware of the look she was getting from two children.  
  
She boards the train that heads back to Shibuya, and goes back to the police station. The receptionist, this time, questions her late arrival.  
"Ah, I was following a lead."  
"Then... why didn't you call and say that you were going to be late?"  
Naoto stares blankly at the desk, then realizes.  
"I apologize, I forgot to do that."  
  
The receptionist sighs.   
"It's fine... the chief told me to tell you that he wants to see you in his office."  
"What for...?"   
The receptionist shrugs.  
"Okay, well, thank you for notifying me."   
  
Naoto leaves the reception area, heading up to the police chief's office. After arriving, she knocks.  
"Come in."   
Naoto opens the door, stepping inside.   
The chief is sitting in his chair, behind the desk. He motions for Naoto to take a seat, and she does so.   
"Are you any closer to finding out who the Phantom Thieves are?"  
  
"Yes, actually... I was just following a lead."   
"Who were you following around?" The chief put his chin on his hand, curious.   
"...Yusuke Kitagawa. Madarame's last pupil before his change of heart."  
"Isn't he just a kid, though?"   
"Anyone can commit a crime."  
  
The chief nods.  
"You are right about that, Narukami. Do you need assistance in tracking him?"   
"No. I can handle this with Yu, or on my own."  
"If you say so. Also, Narukami?"   
"Yes?"   
  
"Call in if you're going to be late."  
Naoto nods, and the chief motions to the door.  
Naoto leaves the office.  
  
 _Half an hour_ _before this..._   


* * *

Akira looks at Yusuke, turning the corner to leave the alleyway that had his home.   
"You know, Yusuke. That detective was behind a vending machine, watching you."   
"Really now?"   
"Yep. She's very bad at hiding... I think even without a Persona, I would have noticed her." Akira thinks, laughing quietly. "Either way, be careful."


	9. The One In Which The Thieves Talk, Once Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another group chat. These are fun to write.

Akira sat in his class, as an announcement played.  
 _"Excuse the interruption, but could Ms. Chuno come to the faculty office?"_  
The teacher in question sighed.  
"Use this free time to study up on the midterms!" Chuno said, leaving the room.  
However, all the students ignored this. Akira opened up his phone, going to the Phantom Thieves group chat.  
  
 _Joker: Boy, am I glad that I got to know Kawakami.  
Panther: That announcement was because of Kawakami?  
Joker: Yep.  
Joker: This is ground control to @Skull, @Crow, @Fox, @Oracle, @Queen, @Noir, come in.  
Skull: What?  
Crow: What do you want?  
Fox: What?  
Oracle: Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?  
Queen: Get back to class.  
Noir: What?  
  
  
Oracle: You're such a buzzkill, Makoto!  
Queen: We're supposed to be studying for midterms, Futaba.  
Joker: Pay attention for more than a second, please. This is actually important.  
_ _Joker: While me and Yusuke were waking up, guess who was at the cafe?  
Skull: Kawakami?  
Crow: Sae?  
Panther: Any normal delivery person?  
  
Joker: You're all wrong, thanks for playing.  
Joker: It was detective Naoto.  
Crow: And?  
Joker: I'm getting to that, Goro.  
Joker: After she finished, we left after, to you know... go to school.  
Joker: And I could tell that she was stalking us.  
  
Panther: Isn't stalking a crime?  
Queen: I doubt either one of them wanted to take a picture of the detective. That would give them away.  
Queen: So, even if it is a crime, they wouldn't have enough evidence to incriminate her.  
Queen: Plus, I'm sure she would have had a warrant to investigate Yusuke.  
Joker: Anyway,  
Joker: I've got a wild idea, hear me out.  
Skull: Shoot!  
  
Joker: We enter Mementos, hoping that she's close enough to be dragged in with us, and confront her.  
Skull: Hell yeah!  
Queen: Are you insane?  
Crow: Did you receive a concussion?  
Noir: That's not the best idea...  
Oracle: Man, Akira, I thought you were smart!  
Fox: We could potentially scare her off... but what if it doesn't work?  
Panther: What Fox said.  
  
Crow: That's... 4 against 4...  
Joker: 4 is enough to confront her.  
Oracle: W-Wait! Inari, you did say that she was a Persona user, alongside Yu, right?  
Fox: Yes.  
Oracle: Then we'd all better come!  
Crow: I refuse.  
Joker: Then just don't come. Lol.  
  
Joker: Although, I'd severely miss my Justice~  
Crow: You think you sound slick, but you sound kind of stupid.  
Joker: Really? You wound me, Goro.  
Joker: Anyway, we'll meet up at the Mementos entrance.  
  
  
_Ms. Chuno re-enters the room, sighing. All the students quickly pretend like they were studying.  
"What a waste of time... they didn't even know why they called me up."


	10. The One In Which Naoto Is Confronted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Phantom Thieves perform a Hold Up on Naoto. It doesn't go so well.

Naoto managed to locate Kitagawa leaving school, and trailed him, watching as he took a train to Shibuya, and went to the crossroads. He met up with that black-haired boy, and soon after, several more teens arrived. Two blondes, one with bright-orange hair, two with brown hair and-   
Naoto couldn't believe her eyes.   
"(Akechi...?)"   
  
The group conversed a bit, and the bright-orange haired one started laughing loudly in Akechi's face. He pushed her face away with a single hand.   
The black-haired one from the cafe brought up his phone, and signaled the group to follow him. The group started to walk toward her. Naoto didn't want to admit it, but it was quite menacing.   
Naoto hid around the underground entrance.  
  
Except, her cover was immediately blown, when she was met face to face with the black-haired one.   
"Well, well, well. If it isn't Detective Naoto."  
Naoto sputters, when the teen pushed a button on his phone.  
She felt her head spin, the whole world turning purple, before returning to normal...  
Naoto felt her Persona, Yamato Sumeragi, calling out to her.   
  
Looking around, she was kneeling on... train tracks? Standing up, she found a whole arsenal of guns pointed at her. In the black-haired teen's place, was a man with a piercing gaze, wearing a mask and pointing a handgun right between her eyes. In fact, all of the teens from earlier have completely disappeared, appearing in these... getups.   
There was also a rather large cat pointing a slingshot at her. The teen- was it even fair to call him a teen? His aura seemed like a grown man, and wouldn't hesitate to shoot her. She decided it would be in her best interest to play along.  
  
"And now, it seems as if we have the upper-hand." The man said.  
"It appears so." Naoto hid the fear in her voice.  
"I believe you interrogated one of our members, alone. Have you no guts, to interrogate all of us in the same room?"   
Naoto sputters.   
"T-That just wasn't possible. I had only gotten Kitagawa's name from a friend of mine."   
  
The man pushed the handgun against the bridge of her nose. The cold metal burned.  
"I suggest that you stay clear of the Phantom Thieves. Stop investigating us."   
"Yeah! Otherwise, we'll get 'ya again!"   
The distinct orange-haired one spoke up.   
"Skull! That sounded so uncool!"   
  
"W-What?! It was?!"   
"Yes, you MORON!" The orange-haired one smacked him upside the head.  
"Joker was having a moment, and you ruined it!"  
The man, now called Joker in Naoto's mind, sighed. He kept the gun on her nose, and turned around.  
"Do you idiots mind?"  
  
Naoto takes the opportunity to grab the gun, and twist Joker's arm around. She jumped up, grabbing his neck and dragged him down, putting the gun against his head.  
The Thieves yelled out in a chorus of; "JOKER!"   
But, they all seemed to drop their concern. Now that Naoto realizes it, the handgun feels lighter than a normal one...  
Firing it against the ground, a BB comes out.  
  
She drops the fake gun, and pulls out her own revolver, putting it to Jokers head. Joker now squirmed, realizing what was about to go down.  
"Tell me all your codenames, and real names, and I'll let him go."  
The Thieves all talked amongst each other.  
"DON'T LISTEN! GET OUT OF HERE!"   
  
The Thieves looked surprised at their leader's sudden outburst.  
"GO!"  
Skull rejected this notion.   
"No! I refuse to leave you behind, Joker!"  
The one wearing a kitsune mask, who looked oddly familiar to Naoto, also rejected this.   
  
"We're all leaving Mementos together, Joker."  
Naoto turns off the safety on her revolver, making it noticeable to the Thieves.  
"If you all want to leave, give me the names."  
"NO!" Naoto shoved the barrel of the gun against Jokers head harder, cocking the hammer.  
"Well?"  
  
The Thieves talked amongst each other. Solemnly, they turned back to Naoto, hands on their masks.  
"Take them off." Naoto commanded.  
Skull grinned.   
"Gladly, Miss Detective."   
  
An outcry of "PERSONA!" echoed through Mementos, reaching the very depths of it...


	11. The One In Which We Get Some Action

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Naoto fights the Phantom Thieves, only to be knocked out.

For a moment, all Naoto felt was nothing. She couldn't see anything, or hear anything. But slowly, she was aware of two elements on her body: Ice, and Fire. She wasn't sure about the other ones, but oh boy did they hurt. When her hearing came back, she held her ears as they popped loudly and painfully. Then, her sight returned, nearly blinding her with the constant lights blaring in the highest level of Mementos. Sitting up, she saw... Yu. Yu Narukami.  
  
Who was he again...? Oh. Right. Husband, leader of the now-disbanded Investigation Team, and detective. She felt her Persona-Yamato Sumeragi- screaming out at her, telling her to get up. She obliges, but then immediately regrets the decision. She lies back down, and passes out...

* * *

Yu was walking through Shibuya during the failed Hold Up. He noticed a strange app with a red-eye as it's icon appear on his phone. There wasn't a title to it, and it moved around his phone the more he examined it. He rationalized that he'd get a new phone, and clicked it. What came was... a rather shitty layout, clearly cobbled together by someone with no time or an amateur. He saw a button called **[Enter Mementos]**.  
  
"(Maybe this is a game?)" He clicked it, and his head started pounding, everything turning purple... until it stopped. Standing up, he felt his Persona, Izanagi-No-Okami, call out to him, as it slowly faded away. Yu gripped the middle of his chest, trying to hold onto his Ultimate Persona, until it completely disappeared. Before Yu had a moment to think about it, he felt two Personas calling out to him. Izanagi, and Magatsu-Izanagi.  
  
Yu recognized Magatsu-Izanagi as Adachi's own Persona. Thinking further into the concepts of his Persona's, their levels were quite high, with nearly all their abilities. Izanagi specialized in Physical and Electrical attacks, while Magatsu-Izanagi specialized in Curse and Physical attacks. Both were resilient to their respective elements, and they shared a resilience to Physical attacks.  
  
"(...Izanagi had a resilence to Curse. What happened to that?)" His thoughts were stopped by an outcry of "PERSONA!", and a familiar voice screaming out. Without realizing it, he runs toward the source of the voices, wielding a katana he swore he gave to Nanako as a gift.  
All the Shadows on the floor ran far, far away from Yu. They felt his pure power emanating off him. They didn't want to get killed by such a powerful guy.

* * *

Somewhere in the world, Tohru Adachi was _not_ having a good day right now. He felt like he was a puppet, being made to jump around, make weird motions, and overall be a dipshit. Good thing he wasn't in prison right now...

* * *

Futaba was sitting up in her Persona, Prometheus, watching as the Thieves unleashed a combined attack on the rather powerful Detective Princess.  
 _"She has little to no health left! Hold off!"_ She yelled out, being transmitted into the Thieves' earpieces. The Phantom Thieves celebrate, and huddle around Akira, making sure he's okay.  
Suddenly, Futaba feels an incoming sense of dread. Electricity hangs in the air, with evil intent...  
  
She gets back in Prometheus.  
 _"Heads up! Something powerful is coming!"_ She began typing out quickly, trying to discern the level of power this enemy was at...  
She wasn't ready for her own Persona, herself, to come back with the answer: " _[ERROR], THE TRUTHSEEKER IS HERE."  
_

* * *

Yu rounded the corner, and he saw a bunch of teenagers dressed up in awful Halloween costumes pointing guns at him. Those can't be real. Izanagi told him that these were Persona users. Though, they were fairly weak. Looking around them, he saw what he didn't want to see.  
Naoto. On the ground, covered in blood, burns, ice, and all other elements. It was a miracle that she was still alive.  
  
Yu felt... angry. No, furious. How could they hurt Naoto? They would **pay** for what they've done to her.  
Yu unbuttoned his suit, as a card descended in front of him. On one side was Izanagi. The other, Magatsu-Izanagi.  
"... **IZANAGI!** " His hand shot up, crushing the card.  
The rush of utter power raced through Yu's veins. It felt good to call out his inner-self, personified as a being of destruction. He walked towards them.  
  
The Phantom Thieves began shooting at him, but... they were BB's. The only thing that necessarily "hurt" him was Noir's grenade launcher, which doonks him in the head and spills BB's everywhere.  
"Why aren't our guns working?!" Skull shouted.  
"His cognition must realize that our guns are fake!" Mona responded.  
"Guys..." Joker was rooted to the spot, as Yu continued walking forward, Izanagi behind him.  
  
" **Mazionga!** " Izanagi sticks his sword into the ground, and unleashed a massive Electric wave, knocking down Mona instantly. Everyone is in shock from the sheer force of the Electric wave, including Ryuji, who was resistant to it.  
He stands in front of the Thieves.  
Another card appears in front of him. He crushes it.  
  
" **MAGATSU-IZANAGI! MEGIDOLA!** "  
Futaba is powerless to cast a defense spell, as the Megidola hits all of them fiercely.  
Yu walks past all the Thieves, who were bordering on unconsciousness, and reaches Naoto.  
Assessing her wounds, he couldn't heal her right now. But maybe one of those kids had something.  
Yu pickpocketed an unconscious black-haired kid, and found several medicines, including a full heal item. Taking it, Yu uses it on Naoto.  
  
Naoto remains unconscious, but she shouldn't be in any more pain. Yu picks her up, and presses a button on his phone which says **[Exit Mementos]**.


	12. The One In Which Everyone Recovers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The members of the Investigation Team, and some close associates gather with Yu, hoping that Naoto wakes up from her coma.  
> Meanwhile, the Phantom Thieves of Hearts heal in the attic of Akira and Yusuke's abode.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got the idea of the Phantom Thieves all touching somehow from a fic I read earlier, I can't remember it's title. If anyone could find it, that'd be great.

The members of the disbanded Investigation Team stood around Naoto's hospital bed. The doctor had informed them all that she was 90% certain to be in a coma. Not knowing what truly caused it, he said it was from "extreme exhaustion", which would be a good cover for anyone outside of the Investigation Team and Yu's close circle of friends. Yu was surprised at everyone's want to just stand around Naoto's sleeping-form, but he didn't disallow it.  
  
Doing a quick headcount, he counted:  
Chie, Yosuke (who were both expected to come, they lived out here), Marie (who decided to quickly abandon Inaba for a while), Rise (who postponed the ending portion of her tour, stating "personal reasons"), Ryotaro and Nanako (who were concerned for her), Yukiko (who left the inn to a trusted employee), and Kanji (who left work early). Teddie was the only one absent, but that was because of his want to see the sights of the world.  
  
Rise was the one fretting the most about this, second to Yu. She always worried that Naoto would get into an accident in her line of work. Yu could only imagine her face when he decides it's time to tell everyone about Mementos.  
Yosuke was possibly 3rd on the fret list, wanting to examine her blood for some reason. Marie was next, who was mainly sulking because she couldn't protect one of her previous residents, and the list continues...  
Yu steels himself. He prepared for a lot of backlash, going into a place equivalent to the TV without informing the rest of the team.  
  
Yu coughs.  
"Can everyone listen to me for a second?"  
Everyone takes their eyes off of Naoto, and Rise stops blaming herself for "not bringing Naoto on tour with her".  
"The true reason why she is in a coma isn't because of extreme exhaustion. It's a good cover, however. The reason she's in a coma is that we... have encountered a new version of the Midnight Channel."  
  
Everyone gasps, barring Ryotaro and Nanako.  
"You all know of the Phantom Thieves, correct? Well... I can only assume that when I went in, the people standing in front of Naoto's bloodied passed out body, was the Phantom Thieves. Maybe we reached too close to the truth for the Thieves liking."  
Chie had a thoughtful look on her face.  
"Maybe Yusuke Kitagawa was really a Phantom Thief?"  
  
"That could be the case."  
Rise spoke up.  
"...Does this whole thing... will we have to begin the Investigation Team again?"  
Ryotaro was really confused.  
"Midnight Channel? Investigation Team? Yu, what are you not telling me?"  
  
Everyone looked at Yu.  
"You still haven't told him about the case?"  
"I-I forgot about it, I swear."  
Yosuke shakes his head.  
"Well, we aren't gonna get a better time to tell Dojima about this."  
  
The Investigation Team tell Ryotaro and Nanako all about what transpired over Yu's initial year visit. He's completely silent throughout the entire story. When it's finally finished, Ryotaro looks up at Yu.  
"Why didn't you tell me during the case itself?"  
Yu was silent. He didn't know exactly why, but he just felt like entrusting the knowledge of what happened during the case to Ryotaro _during_ the case itself was a bad idea.  
  
The door bursts open, and a blonde-haired boy catches his breath, closing the door behind him. He has his hair swept to the right.  
"I came... as soon... as... possible..."  
Yosuke walks over to Teddie, and smacks him in the head.  
"You have the WORST timing!"

* * *

The attic was dead quiet. Sojiro would have assumed that nobody was up there, and decided to check. It _was_ 11 PM, it was becoming unacceptable for Akira and Yusuke to be out this late, even with their Phantom Thievery. Climbing the stairs, he looked out, and there were in fact people in the attic. They were all asleep, touching each other in some way. Ann had her arm tangled with Ryuji, Ryuji had his hand in Akira's, Akira's arm was around Yusuke's neck, Yusuke had pressed up against Goro, Goro had tangled his legs with Haru's, Haru had her head on Futaba's shoulder, Futaba had her hand in Makoto's hair, and Makoto had grabbed hold of Ann's wrist. In the center, Morgana was asleep, nobody touching him.  
  
"(...Long day, clearly.)"


	13. The One In Which Naoto Wakes Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Naoto [awakens].

When she regained consciousness, she didn't know. One moment, she was formless, absolutely nothing, then, the next, she felt a cover over her, and something warm on her forehead. She felt as if she just got an amazing rest, feeling no fatigue at all. Sitting up and yawning, the warm thing falls to her lap. Looking at it, it's a hand. She looks to her left and sees... Yu? She remembers seeing him earlier, but... she doesn't remember anything after that.  
Naoto lightly shook Yu.  
  
"(Hey. Wake up.)" Yu groaned in response, looking up. For a moment, he too looked like he didn't know where he was.  
"...Naoto? Am I dreaming?" Yu held his head, shaking it.  
"I don't think so."  
"When did you wake up...?"  
  
Naoto thought about that.  
"...I'm not sure. One moment, I was just awake. What's the date?"  
"...Naoto, it's been a month."  
"Wh-What? What about the Phantom Thieves?"  
"We're still tracking them down. Ever since the encounter in Mementos, they've gone completely silent."  
  
"Well... we'd better get back to work."  
Yu put his hand over her chest, forcing her back down on the bed.  
"No. The doctors said you needed rest."  
"What's more important, Narukami?" She began. "Me being healthy, or stopping criminals. They stopped my streak of figuring out cases in under a week. I must pay them back in jail time."  
  
"Well, Naoto, won't your efficiency be impacted if you aren't fully rested?"  
"I've been asleep for a month. I'm as rested as I'll ever get." Naoto's never had this kind of opposition from Yu. Typically, he'd get out of her way if she needed to do something important, and this was quite possibly the most important case she's had, second to the Inaba case. But... he was stopping her this time? She felt betrayed.  
"Why are you stopping me...?" She looked down, not having her way.  
  
"Because..." Yu sighs. "I'm worried, Naoto. I'm worried about you. I'm not worried about Naoto Narukami, because if she was her own person, I wouldn't be stopping her at all. I'd encourage her. No, I'm worried about Naoto Shirogane. The one not putting on a mask. _You_."  
Naoto looked up at him, and saw tears welling up in his eyes.  
"You've been working so hard for _years_ , Naoto. You surround yourself in your work, relishing in it. Even while we were..." Yu decides to go there.  
  
"Even while we were planning for our own _wedding_ , you were working on a case. The only time you've truly had your mind off of a case or work, was during the wedding itself." Yu couldn't stop himself. All his pent-up frustrations with Naoto were just flowing out. "And don't think that I don't notice you working in the background, at the house. If we were younger, I would have complimented your work ethic. But now? You're obsessed with it. Who are you trying to prove yourself to? Me? The Investigation Team? The general public?"  
  
"Because if you were trying to impress me, you've only made me worried..." Yu's tears are flowing freely. He feels emotionally drained. Looking at Naoto, she looks like a deer caught in headlights. She was crying without even realizing it.  
Yu got up, and started to leave. Naoto reached out to him, desperately trying to say his name, but her voice never came through. Only sobs.  
  
The door closes, and Naoto is completely alone. She rolls to her right, her tears spilling out onto the sheets. She weakly got her fist up, hitting the bed.  
"(W-W-Why couldn't... _sniff_... I-I... say anything...?)" She continues to wallow...

* * *

Yu slid down the wall right next to Naoto's room. He can hear her crying, but he didn't move to comfort her. For now, he wanted to just be alone. But, almost as if the gods truly wished misfortune upon Yu, Yosuke appeared down the hall, wearing casual clothing. 

* * *

Yosuke saw his partner sitting against the wall, and heard Naoto crying from her room.  
_...Naoto's awake? But... something's happened._ He moves over to his partner, and sits against the wall next to him.  
The silence and tension is so thick, Yosuke could cut it with a knife.  
"...Hey. Yu. I have no real place to say anything to you about relationships... seeing as I'm not in one myself. But, take this with a grain of salt, but... you shouldn't leave her alone to cry on her own."  
  
Yu stays silent, not bothering to wipe the tears from his face. Yosuke does it for him. Yu quickly looks over at him.  
"(Why do you care?)" His voice was hoarse.  
"...Well, because we're partners, you know. We never stopped being partners, even throughout our careers."  
He looped an arm around Yu's shoulder.  
"And partners always help each other out, no matter what circumstance they're in."  
  
Yosuke smiled at Yu, and Yu couldn't help but give a tiny grin back at him. Yu rests his head on Yosuke's shoulder, letting out the rest of his tears silently until he could only expel air from his tear ducts.  
"Now, get in there and cry with her, man." Yosuke lets go of Yu, giving him a thumbs up. "You got this."

Yu stands up, and opens Naoto's door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good Guy Yosuke. In my own opinion, Yosuke seems like a better "best friend character" than Junpei and Ryuji. Even if he's goofy, you could rely on him in a serious situation, and I tried protraying him that way.
> 
> Criticism is always appreciated.


	14. The One In Which The Phantom Thieves Talk, Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Phantom Thieves have been inactive for a while. What's up with that?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay, I was feeling a little burnt out. I'm back though.

Akira stood at his window, idly watching Yusuke and Morgana sleep on his "bed", and looking outside. Calling the mattress on top of some sturdy cardboard boxes a bed was an insult to all beds around the world. He'd been meaning to go out and buy a proper frame for the mattress, but he never got around to it. He leaned over the window, breathing in the refreshing night air. He thought about all that happened in this last month, being: absolutely nothing.  
  
Ever since the "Truthseeker", or Yu Narukami kicked all their asses in Mementos by using only two skills, and two Personas, Akira had been silently plotting revenge against the man. He hated Narukami, for putting his team, his _friends_ , into such a scared state. As much as he wanted to go back into Mementos, or try to find a new Palace, the team was too scared. If he gained 10 yen every time he heard one of his teammates say: "What if Narukami is there?", he would be a millionaire.   
  
He decided to acknowledge his phone buzzing in his pocket. Pulling out his phone, the Phantom Thieves group chat seems to be active. He opens the messaging app, and watches.  
  
 _Noir: I've been thinking. Should I leave the company to someone else?  
Noir: I would much rather run a genuine coffee shop.  
Panther: You should follow your passions, Haru!   
Queen: Nothing good will come from ignoring something you want to do.  
Oracle: Yeah! It's not fair to you if you don't want to own the company!  
Crow: Do you people always have to start talking at 2 AM?  
Panther: Sorry, it's kind of habit...  
  
_Akira gets off the messaging app, deciding to check something. He opened the Meta-Nav, and went to the Palace-Finder, and tried Yu's name. The app instantly told him that the man in question had no Palace, rather than waiting for him to input a distortion and location.   
"(Strange...)"  
He instead tries Naoto.  
  
He threw random distortions and locations at it, but nothing seemed to stick. Akira hated this, being completely in-able to do anything. He couldn't even find a Palace to infiltrate. He sighed, going back to the messaging app.  
  
 _Joker: I'm bored.  
Skull: You can say that again...  
Joker: I'm bored.  
Crow: Haha. Funny. Laughed.  
Joker: Can it, Goro.   
Joker: Does anyone want to go to Mementos? Right now?  
Crow: Akira, I believe that we've told you approximately a million times now. Nobody wants to go to Mementos.  
Joker: If you're about to say "What if Narukami is there?", I'll go to your apartment and kick you in the shins.  
Crow: What if Narukami is-  
Crow: Damn.  
Joker: Either way... I want to do something. Anything at all, that involves the Metaverse.   
  
_He waited for a response, but got none. Sighing, he changed out of his bedclothes and into some casual clothes. Walking over to Yusuke, he shook his shoulder. Instantly, Yusuke was awake, looking at Akira.   
"...Yes?"  
"I'm going to head into Mementos." Akira turned around, going down the stairs.   
"Akira. Why are you going alone?"   
  
Akira peered over the wooden railing, looking at Yusuke.  
"Because everyone is too scared to come with me. Why else?"  
"...I suppose I will come with you. I have been feeling rather restless as well. One moment, please."  
Akira descended the stairs, and sat down in one of the empty booths. Soon, Yusuke came down in a sweater and dress pants.   
  
The two went out, heading to Shibuya.


	15. The One In Which The Investigation Team Is On A Stake-Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chie, Rise, and Kanji wait around in Mementos.

On the safe floor of Mementos, 3 Persona users have set up here, waiting for someone or something to appear. Chie was completely restless, slamming into the walls with her Persona, Tomoe, alongside her own martial art skills, while Kanji and Rise caught up in some foldable chairs, watching as Chie let out her frustration on walls.  
"...Yeah... I agree, it's strange feeling my Persona again. It isn't bad, though..." Kanji commented. He felt like letting out Take-Mikazuchi, even to just join Chie in breaking the walls.  
  
Rise nodded, hand on her chin.  
"Having Himiko tell me that Shadow's are nearby is an odd feeling, but yeah... it's nice!"  
The two continued to talk, until Chie came back, completely exhausted. She flopped into the foldable chair, sighing.  
"Why can't anything interesting happen?! Can we go fight some Shadow's?!" She complained.  
"...Erm... Yu told us to stay in this area only. If we leave, we might miss them."  
  
Chie grumbles, crossing her arms.  
The three sit around in silence. Kanji takes off his glasses, cleaning them with his shirt. He looked around, intrigued.  
"Hm... didn't we get rid of the fog entirely? Why isn't it back?"  
Rise shrugs.  
"This _is_ something different from the Midnight Channel, Kanji. Maybe it has fog all the time?"  
  
Kanji was about to respond, until he heard two voices from above. He listened in.  
"...Mm. It's somewhat nice to be back here."  
"I can't say that it's not somewhat relieving, to be back in a familiar place."  
Kanji looked at Chie, then at Rise.  
"(You hear that?! Someone's here!)"  
  
"(What if we just pretend that we don't see them?)" Chie suggests. Kanji and Rise nod, talking without noticing the two Thieves descend the stairs and stare at the three.

* * *

Akira certainly wasn't ready to see a police officer, some guy and _Rise Kujikawa_ down in Mementos. But here they were. Akira looks at Yusuke, then back at the group.  
"(You see this, right?)"  
Yusuke nods.  
The two walked over to them.

* * *

The three did their best trying to not notice the Thieves. Though, Kanji wasn't good at being subtle. He immediately started sweating, his voice cracking. It didn't help when Joker waved his hand right in front of Kanji's eyes.  
"What-" Kanji covered his mouth, and Chie groaned.  
"You are the WORST at not trying to notice something!"  
  
Kanji recognized the two based off of Yu's description. He knew that the one dressed like a thief from a movie was called Joker, but he wasn't sure about the one in the kitsune mask.  
"What are you doing in here?" Joker asked.  
Rise shrugged. "Waiting for some certain Phantom Thieves."  
Joker looked at the kitsune-masked one again.  
  
The two jumped back, drawing weapons.  
The Investigation Team members all collectively sighed, Kanji grabbing a bat from underneath his chair and kicking it away, whilst Chie immediately jumped up, tossing her chair to the side. Rise got behind them, and began examining the two Thieves.

* * *

  
The Investigation Team and Phantom Thieves clashed, but it wasn't very long until the two Thieves fell. The kitsune-mask huddled over a crouched Joker, trying to keep him from passing out.  
Kanji and Rise stood down, relaxing, while Chie didn't get out of her battle stance.  
"Why did you two come here on your own? Don't you have more teammates?" Kanji questioned.  
The kitsune-mask looked up at Kanji with disdain, then back at Joker, shaking him.  
  
"(Fine, don't answer me...)" Kanji waltz'd over, using a healing item on Joker. He immediately got up, pointing his gun at Kanji, firing. Kanji, however, blocked the bullet with his bat, the bullet making a small dent. Swinging at Joker's hand, he hits the gun away, and it clatters away into some corner.  
"I asked you a question, 'ya know." Kanji kept his bat on standby, waiting for Joker to pull something again.  
Joker, however, pulled nothing. Instead, he leaned against the kitsune-mask.  
  
"We came here because we were bored. Your apparent leader has scared the rest of my team. Can you not even let us have this?" Joker's tone was quick and filled with hate.  
"Jeez. It's not my fault."  
Chie moved to Kanji's side.  
"Anyway, we have to arrest you now. You're wanted criminals, you know."  
  
"Wanted for what? Trying to fix society?"  
Chie stared at the two Thieves.  
"What? Fixing society? Everyone portrays your meddling as a crime."  
"Changing people's distorted and disgusting hearts into something remorseful and beautiful. The Phantom Thieves have done society a favour, and now we are looked down upon... how disgraceful." The kitsune-mask commented, sounding indifferent.  
  
Kanji looked at Chie. Chie looked at Rise.  
"Then why is everyone saying that The Phantom Thieves need to be stopped?"  
Joker looked Chie straight in the eyes. Chie felt rather intimidated, steel-gray eyes staring into her own. It reminded her of Yu.  
"Those high up in this corrupted system know that they're next. They have the media tell the public lies, and corrupt them. They want to protect themselves, knowing full well that they have distorted desires."  
  
Kanji thinks, while Chie gasps.  
"I never thought of it that way!"  
Kitsune-mask speaks up again.  
"What he meant to say was; do you really believe everything you see on the TV?"  
Chie looked down, feeling guilty.  
  
"Your detective friends are the same, believing their lies."  
Kanji, in a brilliant moment of enlightenment, put all the pieces together.   
"...So in short... you're the good guys?"  
Joker rolled his eyes and nodded.  
"That makes sense."  
  
Kanji looked at Chie and Rise.  
"You guys believe 'em?"  
Rise shrugged.  
"Why do they have a reason to lie, after we just beat them up?"  
"That's fair." Chie responded.  
  
Joker sighed, and stopped leaning on kitsune-mask.  
"Let's get out of here, Fox."  
The Investigation Team members did nothing as the two left.  
"...We're doing the right thing." Kanji re-assured no one in particular.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Criticism is always appreciated.


	16. The One In Which Kanji Tells Yu What's Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kanji's got news for Yu.

Kanji stood outside of the Narukami house. Well, it was more of a damn mansion, near the outskirts of Tokyo. His palms were sweaty, and he was pretty anxious.   
"(What if Yu resents us for not arresting the Thieves...? No. He'll understand. Right...?)" He flicked his new earring over and over again, trying to think rationally. He personally hated this, being this uneasy just trying to report back to the Investigation Team's leader. Without thinking, he got fed up with himself, and knocked rather loudly on the door. Realizing what he's done, he panics, until the door opens.  
  
On the other side is Yu, who was clearly asleep until Kanji came knocking.  
"...Yes, Kanji?"   
"A-Ah... u-uh... w-well..." Kanji scratched the back of his head.   
"Spit it out." Yu yawned, leaning against the doorframe.  
"W-Well... we encountered the Phantom Thieves down in Mementos..."   
  
Yu's eyebrows raised. "Really, now? Did you catch them?"   
"Well... that's the thing... we let them get away-" Kanji flinched, and for good reason. Yu had just reacted poorly.   
"What?! Why?!"   
"L-Listen, man! T-They... uh... well..."   
Kanji cast his eyes downwards, collecting his thoughts. He never was good at this kind of thing...  
  
"...W-Well, we believe that they're the good guys... the big guys near the top of 'tha chain has the news and media lie about the Phantom Thieves, to protect their own asses."   
Kanji relaxed when he saw Yu calm down.  
"...I suppose that's a new thought process. I'd need to hear it for myself, to be sure that they aren't lying."  
"W-Well, you know Yu, if we stay down in Mementos long enough, you'd probably run into them..."  
  
Yu considered this.   
"I'll think about it. Now, Kanji, do you mind if I got some sleep?"   
"O-Oh, right. Sorry for botherin' you." Kanji backed up, and Yu shut the door.  
Kanji left the premises, hands in his pockets. He sighed, pulling out a pack of cigarettes, lighting one and putting it in his mouth.   
  
He knew that the act was awful for his lungs, but sometimes he just needed it. Maybe he'd get one of those products that you spray in your mouth when you feel like smoking one day. He breathed in the acrid smoke, and exhaled. Walking down the sidewalk, the streetlights blared down, annoying Kanji. A lot of things annoying Kanji these days, but he was better at hiding it than he was back in high school.   
  
He sighed, taking the cigarette out of his mouth and tossing it to the ground, stomping it out. "What am I gonna do...?" 


	17. The One In Which The Phantom Thieves Talk, For The 3rd Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Thieves get a target, and decide to go with it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Admittedly a filler chapter, while I plan out where I'm going with this.

Akira and Yusuke flop down on the bed, exhausted. They both brought up their phones, navigating to the Phantom Thieves group chat.   
  
_Joker: So me and Yusuke went to Mementos on our own. And, we met who I think are some agents of Narukami.  
Fox: Fortunately, we got away relatively unscathed.   
Skull: What?! You should have told me!   
Queen: That was irresponsible of you.   
Panther: Yeah! Come on, what happened to the team part of the Phantom Thieves?!   
Joker: Hard to call the Phantom Thieves a team still, when everyone is too scared to head in.  
Joker: Sorry.  
Panther: Jeez, Akira...   
Crow: You really do have a concussion, don't you?  
  
_Akira sighed angrily. Yusuke looked at him, and hugged Akira. He didn't try and get out of it, but didn't return the gesture.   
"Why is everyone so damn scared of this...?!" Yusuke didn't respond, continuing to hold him.  
Akira continued to type.  
  
 _Joker: I don't want to hear it, Goro.  
Joker: Though, we may have swayed them in believing us.  
Joker: As in, they might go and tell Narukami about what we said, and they might let us go.   
Joker: So, with that information, are we going to go find a new Palace, or what?  
Queen: Well... I did try someone's name. My sister. She's obsessed with finding us out, so with the help of Futaba...  
Oracle: And several hours of doing nothing but typing!  
Queen: We found out that... well, she has a Palace.  
Joker: Then it's settled. We'll steal Sae's treasure.  
Skull: Finally! Some action!  
Noir: With the threat of Narukami possibly gone... I'm in.  
Crow: Fine.  
  
_Akira wasn't aware when Yusuke fell asleep, but when he finally put away his phone, smirking, he looked at his significant other. He returned the hug, and soon fell asleep as well.


	18. The One In Which Naoto Is Released

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Naoto is released from the hospital as the Phantom Thieves start making progress in Sae Niijima's Palace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If it wasn't obvious, I'm not very good at writing physical fighting scenes, so I'm trying to avoid as many as I can by making Naoto the "main character" again.

Over the past few days, Naoto had been extremely exhausted. Even if she felt great waking up, that feeling quickly left her as she became exhausted. And her exhaustion was amplified by the amount of physical training she had to do before the hospital let her go. Her muscles had become weak and slow during her slumber, and she intended to fix that as fast as possible. She needed to continue pursuing the Phantom Thieves.  
  
That's why, when she was approached by Kanji during the morning visiting hours, she was shocked.  
"...You actually _believe_ them?" She asked incredulously.   
"Well, yeah?" Kanji had leaned back in the small chair that was in the room. At least she didn't start yelling like Yu. "It's hard to not believe 'em when they just got beat up."  
"Kanji, did you not stop and consider the possibility that they could have been lying to evade arrest?"  
  
Kanji looked down.   
"They sounded... I don't know, truthful?"  
Naoto shook her head. "Anyone is capable of lying when the situation demands it, Kanji."  
Kanji looked up at her. He needed her to believe him...  
"They way... they uh... worded it."   
  
Naoto looked confused.  
"What about it?"  
"I-It sounded like they were telling the truth!"   
"Kanji... there's no reason to believe them. They are criminals."   
"Listen, Naoto! The news is lyin' about 'em!"   
  
"That's western news. Not ours."  
"Naoto, c'mon man! When have I ever lied to you?!"  
"About a lot of things, actually." Naoto started reminiscing. "You lied about where you were going after school, why you had all those bruises and cuts, if you studied for the exams or not, and about your attendance."  
"Th-That's... not the point." Kanji put a hand against his forehead. Why'd this have to be so hard?  
  
"When have I ever lied about somethin' this serious...?"   
Naoto stopped thinking. That was true, he never lied when it truly mattered...  
"...While you are correct there, there's simply no reason to trust the Phantom Thieves words. Everyone says-" Kanji swiftly interrupted her, remembering something that Fox said.  
"Do you believe everythin' on TV? Or everything that's told to 'ya?"  
  
Naoto stopped dead in her tracks, and started again.   
"...T-There's no reason to believe them. Everyone says that they are to be stopped, and assisting the police in stopping them is a part of my job."   
Kanji sighed.   
"There's really no gettin' through to you..."  
  
"Was that it, Kanji? Or should you be going, now?" Naoto didn't say it outright, but even Kanji got the message.  
"Yeah, yeah... I'm leavin'." Kanji got up, pushing the chair away, and left the room. 

* * *

The next day, Naoto was met with great news.   
"...You should be released from the hospital in a few hours, Mr. Shirogane." The doctor concluded after her performance report.   
"...W-Wait, what? Really?" Naoto could hardly believe it.   
"Yes. Now, if you'll excuse me..." The doctor left the room.  
  
Naoto was ecstatic. She could finally get back to work on the case! For the next few hours, she could barely contain her happiness, while sitting in the hospital bed, waiting for her release.  
That was, until Yu came in. Originally, seeing Yu on the day of her release would be great, because she wouldn't have to go looking for him. But, as he sat down in the chair next to the hospital bed, looking at his expression, it was... apprehensive.   
  
Yu was typically good at hiding what he was feeling behind a polite smile, and it looked like he really tried today, but the expression on his face betrayed him.   
"Well... Naoto. I heard that you're getting released today. That's great."  
"...Yu, what's wrong?"   
The tension was immediately removed, Yu sighing.   
  
"You saw through it already? Damnit..." He scratched his cheek, looking out the window, then back at Naoto. "Well, truth be told, I've... organized a trip to Inaba, for the both of us."   
Yu's words echoed through Naoto's skull.   
"...B-But-"  
Yu's finger quickly came to Naoto's mouth, shushing her.  
  
"I'm still worried about you, Naoto. That whole spiel wasn't for nothing, you know. You really need time to relax."   
"What about the sta-"   
"I've already gotten permission. The chief seemed a bit... hesitant, but knowing your condition, he saw it was necessary too."  
Naoto looked down.   
  
"...It's the best fo-"   
"Yu. _Please_. Do you know how much this case means to me? I need-" Yu's finger came again, and Naoto shoved it away, continuing. "I need to finish this. I appreciate your concern, but I need this done."  
"Naoto, you don't _need_ to-"  
"Yu, do you understand what it means to go on a break during a case? It shows everyone that I'm becoming less reliable. Every case I get, I need to finish immediately."   
  
"You don-"   
Naoto became frustrated. "I am not some pretty flower who needs to be protected, Yu. I must be out there."  
"But-"  
"Yu, listen to me! This needs to be done before I do anything relating to a break!"  
Suddenly, the door swings open, and the same doctor that Naoto has seen a thousand times before comes in.   
  
"Mr. Shirogane, you're being released."  
"Thank you." Naoto relaxed. Getting up, she ignored the sputtering Yu, and moved to the corner, where her belongings were put into a bin. She immediately puts on her hat, and starts putting on the rest of her clothing, the doctor leaving.  
"N-Naoto, you can't be serious. You really-"  
  
"Shut it, Yu!" Naoto lashed out. "What place of authority are you in to organize a surprise trip back to Inaba, just because you're concerned for my health?! You didn't even _ask_ me if it was okay!" She whipped her head to look at Yu.  
"Right now, you are being very over-protective for no reason at ALL! I am not some weak damsel in distress, I am a high-profile detective!" She finished getting her clothing on, and stormed out of the room. Descending the hospital stairs, she went to the front desk, and paid the bill. She then made a beeline for the exit.  


* * *

Yu sat still in the chair. He had never seen Naoto that upset before. Maybe he was being over-protective. Tiny thoughts such as that floated around his head.  
"(...Shut it, Yu...)"


	19. The One In Which Naoto Is In A Palace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Naoto walks in on the Phantom Thieves again.

Naoto walked around blindly, angry at Yu for trying to get her to relax. She knew that he only meant the best for her, but come on. Making a surprise trip to Inaba? Without even consulting her? That was just insane. She was so deep in her thoughts, she didn't notice the world turn purple for a moment. All the cars were off the street. She didn't see it, but there was a group of teens up ahead. Naoto kept walking, barely noticing them until one put a hand on her shoulder.  
"Leave me alon-" She began, until she looked up again.  
  
It was the Phantom Thieves. They all looked surprised that Naoto was even here. And that _damned Goro Akechi had his hand on her shoulder-_  
"If it isn't the Phantom Thieves." She began to run off, rationalizing that she'd find some police officers down the street.  
As she ran, she heard the Thieves run after her, yelling at her about some kind of danger, until she saw it.  
In front of her was a massive casino. It looked like something out of Las Vegas, and it clashed awfully with the surrounding Japanese buildings.  
  
What she thought were Shadow's appeared from nowhere, dressed as guards. Looking back, the Thieves were in their silly costumes.  
 _" **Mr. Shirogane, your presence was requested by the casino**_ **owner."**  
"Wh-What? What is going on?"  
More guards surrounded her, and escorted her into the casino...

* * *

The Phantom Thieves were baffled. Their worst enemy, second to Yu Narukami, was just... abducted? In a Palace? Crow had said that this was a good thing. Joker, however, saw it as a bad thing.  
"What if Narukami kills Sae's Shadow?"  
That put the Thieves into a state of urgency. They rushed into the Palace...

* * *

It had been a few hours since the Investigation Team reported Naoto as missing. The team split up into twos, going out to try and find them. Kanji and Rise had even went into Mementos, but they found no sign of her.  
Yu and Yosuke walked down the street back to the Narukami house, on the excuse that she might have gone back to the house to collect her things, for whatever reason. In truth, Yu knew that Yosuke wanted to ask him about what had gone down.  
  
"...Soooo... what happened?" Yosuke asked. Yu could tell that Yosuke was treading lightly with Yu today.  
"I decided that she hadn't had enough of a break. I was worried for her health, and used her injury as a way to try and get her to take it easy for a while. But, when I heard that she was being released soon, I... well, I organized a trip to Inaba. It was rushed, and I tried getting everything sorted out..."  
"Then, she freaked out?" Yosuke assumed, looking down the road. Yu nodded.  
  
"It wasn't my best plan... I'd only barely managed to get Naoto to listen last time. She's... awfully determined to be the one to finish this case." Yosuke gave a low hum, and the two continued walking to the house, even though they both knew she wouldn't be there.  
"It sounds like it was borderin' on obsession... Naoto's case is the kinda thing the Phantom Thieves try to take out, right?"  
  
Yu sighed. "Sorry, Yosuke, but I really don't feel like talking about the Thieves right now."  
"It was just a comment... but seriously, maybe we should ask them to see if they can steal Naoto's heart?"  
"Yosuke, she's done nothing that would... call for such a thing. Sure, she's obsessed, but all the targets have one thing in common, and that's their overwhelming remorse for what they've done. And they've all done pretty terrible things..."  
  
"Naoto wouldn't have done anything-"  
"You don't necessarily know that, partner." Yosuke had a fairly serious look on his face. "Being a detective is a dangerous job, you know. She could have done something that... seriously messed her up. She carries a gun _everywhere_ , Yu. Did you not notice it? No matter where she goes. Even to places casually, she'll have her gun.  
  
"Well, yeah. It's a police officers first line of defense-"  
"She isn't a cop, Yu. She's a detective. Why would she need to have a gun?"  
"...Where are you going with this, Yosuke?" Yu was getting fairly irritated. Detectives had every right to carry a gun, like a cop. Though... Yu didn't carry a gun at all. He was pretty sure that even Dojima didn't carry a gun. The only exception was Naoto and... Adachi.  
"I'm thinking that she could have done something awful back in the day, and possibly was traumatized by it. She could be carrying the gun as to reassure herself that whatever happens, she can protect herself."  
  
Yu was frankly astounded.  
"That's a very, _very_ specific line of thinking you're going with. You have no evidence to base this, either, other than she always carries a gun, despite not being a cop. It's very far-fetched."  
"I know, it was just a suggestion."  
"The way you said it all made it sound like an accusation, rather than a suggestion, Yosuke."  
  
"Well, _sorry_." Yosuke scratched the back of his head. The two continued talking about the Phantom Thieves, despite Yu's outright statement saying that he didn't want to.


	20. The One In Which Naoto Fights

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Naoto fights Sae Niijima's Shadow... well, tries to, while the Investigation Team starts in on Sae's Palace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the wait. I was reading some other fics.

As Naoto was being escorted across a random bridge, she started formulating a plan.  
When she reaches the other side of the bridge, she will summon Yamato Sumeragi, cast Megidola (because Megidolaon is a bit overkill for her current situation), and kill all the Shadow's that are escorting her. If any survive, she will just start running. As they made it to the mid-point of the bridge, Naoto felt her adrenaline rise. If only she could control how her brain functions...  
  
They reached the other side of the bridge, and Naoto's card descended from nowhere. The Shadow's looked at it, perplexed. Naoto, not having her gun, decided to just go with the finger-gun, and the card exploded. The rush of power that Naoto felt was intoxicating, her heart beating faster than normal.  
" **Megidola!"**  
  
Her Persona, of course, complied, using the Almighty skill on all the Shadow's surrounding her. Surprisingly, they all died immediately. She thought that she would have to actually fight some of them. Naoto took off, Yamato Sumeragi disappearing...

* * *

Joker, Crow, and Oracle fell out from a vent, and into the control room. "This is it!" Oracle said. The trio got up, Joker brushing any dust off of him. Observing the room, there were no Shadow's. "Do what you must." Crow, in his black-mask costume today, leaned against the wall like the edgy little bastard he is.  
Oracle moved toward a computer, and unceremoniously plugged a USB into it. It unlocked itself, several versions of command prompt appearing, all with separate running code. At the top of the screen, there was the Phantom Thieves logo.  
  
"That'll take a few..." Oracle sighed, and fell into the office chair behind her. She slowly began to spin. Joker looked at the spinning Oracle.  
"While we have the time, do you think that you could try to find Narukami anywhere?"  
Oracle stopped spinning. "...Sure. Give me a bit." Oracle went over to another computer, and began to crack it's password without any USB.  
  
Joker took his attention back to the computer with the USB in it. Soon enough, the code stopped moving, and the Phantom Thieves logo was replaced with a check-mark, a small beep coming from it.  
"Take that out for me."  
Joker took the USB out of the computer, handing it to Oracle. She instantly put it into the computer, it unlocking. Before it had time to run the same code as last time, she took it out, and began navigating to surveillance. Cracking a few more codes, she got into it, and started looking around all the cameras.  
  
"(Nope. Not there. Nuh-uh...)" Oracle doubled clicked on a feed. "There." The detective in question, Naoto Narukami, was moving across a rather large gambling floor. To anyone not looking for her, she blended in, being lucky to not appear in Thief clothing.  
"Where is that?" Joker watched as she moved through the crowd. "That, my key item, is near Sae's Shadow. She has about an hour before she reaches the Shadow, I'd say."  
  
"An hour?!" Joker looked back, and Crow was moving toward the two of them. "Where are we, then?!"  
Oracle thought for a moment.  
"We're... nowhere near the Shadow. It'll take at least 2 hours to reach her if we're quick. Speaking of being quick, let's move!" Oracle jumped out of the office chair, and tried jumping up to the vent, but didn't reach it. Joker moved toward it, and helped her in, and jumped in himself.  
  
Crow sighed, and followed the two.

* * *

The Investigation Team all got together again, and began walking around, discussing their findings. The general consensus was: "We didn't find her." No one had even seen the detective when she was released. She just... disappeared. Yu's phone buzzed, and he dug it out of his pocket, looking.  
The Meta-Nav had given him a notification about a recent Metaverse entry.  
  
"(...Huh?)" He clicked on it. "Did any of you just get a notification from the Meta-Nav?"  
The rest of the team pulled out their phones, looking at the lack of a Meta-Nav notification.  
"...Nope. Why?" Yosuke asked.  
Yu showed his phone to everyone, concerning a certain entry of about 10 people entering someone called Sae Niijima's Palace.  
  
"Sae Niijima? Isn't she that prosecutor?" Chie asked.  
"Yeah... what even is a Palace?" Kanji questioned.  
Yu decided to click on the entry. It had a list of names and a few words.  
"...Joker, Skull, Fox, Mona, Queen, Noir, Oracle, Crow... and... Naoto?!" He looked at the other words, being courthouse and casino.  
  
"What are you talking about, Yu...?" Rise looked completely lost. Yu was quickly tapping away on his phone, inputting the separate words into a table of a Palace owner's name, distortion, and location. Pressing **[Enter Palace** **]** , the entire world went purple.  
Everyone felt their Persona's calling out to them. All the cars were gone, and nobody was on the street.  
Yu ran forward, rounding a corner, and found... a giant casino? In place of the courthouse?  
  
The rest of the team came with him.  
"Wh-What is this?! Is this another dungeon?!" Teddie yelled.  
Looking at their hands, the team was holding their best weapons, barring Yu's katana.  
"Let's go!" Yu went forward, entering the casino.

* * *

Naoto burst through what she hoped was the final door, and thankfully it was. Ahead, she saw a rather poorly dressed woman. She turned around, and yellow eyes glared at Naoto.  
"(A Shadow...?)" Her hand went into her pocket, reaching for her gun... but it wasn't there. She felt unsafe, but continued onward.  
 **"Naoto Shirogane... I have been expecting you.** **"** The Shadow spoke, sounding pleased... though, knowing the true nature of Shadow's, and especially the true nature of other people's Shadow's, Naoto had a suspicion that this Shadow was not pleased at her arrival.  
  
Looking around, the area appeared as a giant roulette wheel. Naoto continued forward, stepping onto the wheel.  
"I'm aware of this. Your... guards attempted to escort me."  
 **"And I am equally as aware of your abandonment of my guards. Say, are you up for a game of roulette?"**  
"I have no reason to play. I am here to end you, to ensure that you do not cause any more trouble pertaining to changing the environment in the world."  
  
 **"But that is why you must play, Mr. Shirogane. I'm not going to just let you attack me until I drop dead. That simply won't do."** The Shadow stepped toward Naoto, hand on her own hat. **"We will play roulette, and the bets?"** The screen behind her displayed **[Bet HP]**. **"Our lives."**  
Naoto sighed. Knowing the rest of the casino, surely, this Shadow will have had rigged this game in some capacity.  
"Very well. Let us begin."  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Naoto was able to get right to Sae because surely, she would have had to be in a courtroom before. And plus, if she couldn't get to a specific area, why leave the Meta-Verse to do it, when you could just find a way around it?


	21. The One In Which The Thieves And IT Meet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Phantom Thieves and Investigation Team meet in Sae Niijima's Palace. Akira has no choice but to co-operate with them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm planning to try and get daily updates out now. No promises if I can hold that up, considering I have a new project to work on.  
> (boy how that backfired so quickly)

The Investigation Team was mainly in awe of the scale of the dungeon. But, they keep moving. They're smart people, figuring out that the games are rigged after a few plays. Soon, they're reaching the mid-point of the first tower, and Rise is warning the team about several life signals in front of them.  
"Are they powerful?" Yosuke is frankly kind of bored with the low-level Shadow's in this dungeon. Rise hums, thinking.  
"Kind of. They don't match us, though."  
  
Yosuke groans. Yu keeps moving, the three others in his party (being Yosuke, Kanji, and Yukiko, with Rise staying at the first safe zone with the rest of the Investigation Team) following suit. Soon enough, they're met with a bunch of teenagers in Halloween costumes. Yu expects to feel anger at their appearance, but he doesn't. If anything, he's happy to see actual real people. However, the Phantom Thieves don't look too thrilled at the appearance of Yu Narukami and His Goons™. The kid in the skull mask audibly expresses his distaste for the group's appearance.  
  
"You guys? Seriously...?" Yu sighs. He doesn't have time to listen to the Phantom Thieves winge about them. He gives a short cough.  
"I believe that we have a similar goal, of reaching the top of this casino, and have a word with the... owner. Yes?"  
The three other Phantom Thieves look to Joker.  


* * *

Akira had felt rage when Narukami put his team into a state of fear. He still does. But... now that the two men are on equal ground (Thieves beat up Narukami's wife, Narukami beat up the entire team), Akira couldn't help but see the possible gains from co-operating with them. If Narukami was so powerful that Oracle couldn't get a proper reading on his strength, what about the rest of his team? He swallows his pride.  
"...Mhm. What are you suggesting?"  
  
Crow looked straight at Akira. He could feel his distrust for Narukami and His Goons™.  
Skull looked at Narukami, making no comments.  
Fox looked straight at Akira. He couldn't feel any emotion that Fox was trying to convey with his stare.

* * *

"I'm suggesting that we work together, for this short time. It will only benefit us both if we co-operate." Kanji looked at Yu, glad that he took his suggestion seriously.  
Joker shrugs. "I don't see why not."  
Yu held out his hand, and Joker took it.  
  
The show was just getting started.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi so like im not working on this anymore. so go read my other fics like my risk of rain one that im working on? idk


End file.
